Leave it to the flimsy rebounding Knicks to squander a second straight first round opportunity to become healthier in that department. Or, for that matter, locate a center who can potentially contribute something of consequence when Patrick Ewing eventually crumbles into a heap.

If Jerry Colangelo is willing to go to court to fight for 7-2 Iakovos Tsakalidis (talented enough to be projected between Nos. 8-to-15, but taken No. 25 because of a contract dispute with his club in Greece) why wouldn’t Dave Checketts?

Then again, maybe the Suns owner should be prepared to go to extremes in an effort to upgrade from Luc Longley, Oliver Miller and Bayard Forrest.

(This just in: Tsakalidis has asked for political asylum with Danny Ainge’s family)

At the same time, leave it to Jeff Van Gundy to recruit John Wallace, again, not play him, again, then package him with 6-8 power forward Donnell Harvey for Erick (not Rod) Strickland, a versatile guard, but a guard, nonetheless. There are enough internal and overt problems when Van Gundy tries to find ample backcourt time for four players, including Latrell Sprewell.

This move only serves to breed more dissatisfaction and distress.

Unless, of course, the Knicks have something definite in the works regarding the departure of Chris Childs or Charlie Ward. Perhaps the plan is to couple one of them with Allan Houston or Sprewell for Grant Hill.

Who knows? If nothing else, Strickland’s acquisition unquestionably has improved the Knicks’ rebounding in the backcourt.

By the way, you realize, of course, it’s only a matter of minutes before David Falk starts squawking about getting an extension for Ewing (one year left at $14M) and demanding an immediate trade (to Miami) for his client if one isn’t in the offering.

Truth is, if I were Ewing’s rep, I’d make the same sucker’s holler. Outside of Frederick Weis, where else can the Knicks find a center who can give them 20 points, 10 rebounds and a guarantee of a win in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference final?

Falk, by the way, has guaranteed a slew of national endorsements to the guy who absconded with Stephon Marbury’s gold chain.

Personal highlight of the draft: Not witnessing Falk hugging someone every time TNT’s cameras visited the Green Room.

This just in: Ewing says Harvey has a lot of basketball left in him.

*

TO me, the biggest story of draft day was Brian Grant – upset at being Rasheed Wallace’s understudy on a near-championship team – following through on his threat to opt out of a Blazers contract that would’ve been worth $41.965M over the next four years.

I’m flat out mystified and downright mortified!

Obviously, nobody sound in mind and unsound in body (there’s no mistaking Grant is injury prone) would renounce such riches unless he was absolutely, positively sure of recouping and then some.

Either the Blazers illegally have promised Grant a big raise and a longer extension come Aug. 1, or a tampering opponent has tempted him into free agency with visions of opulence.

Dead wrong and loud wrong!

From what I’m told, management tried its best to dissuade Grant from risking economic ruin, as well as leaving the Blazers in the lurch while he tested the market in hopes of finding a happier hunting ground.

Logic dictates it’d be irrational for team president Bob Whitsitt to promise Grant more money, or more years, or more of anything, or even more of the same should he discover, while trying to sell himself, he has nowhere else to go.

Judging by his lack of confidence and condition for much of the season, Grant already is vastly overpaid. Not that the Blazers will hesitate to re-sign him to a comparable contract if given the chance. Clearly, the team is not nearly as dangerous minus his hustle, muscle, rebounding, defense and inspiration.

Sure the Blazers want Grant back, but they aren’t going to wait on him indefinitely. Maybe not even for an abbreviated amount of time. He won’t be the only one out there shopping on line. Both parties can’t afford to lose each other, but guess who’s going to suffer the most if things don’t coagulate?

It’s on them to unearth a suitable replacement (at the $2M exception), to make themselves as close to whole, as quickly as possible. It’s on him to uncover a work place that offers longer hours and makes him feel more secure and content. At bigger pay, naturally.

Arranging a sign-and-trade with Portland will be exceedingly difficult to arrange. Signing Grant outright will almost be an impossibility. Hardly a team in the league has the kind of cap room Grant is used to taking up. Only three, actually, four should the Pacers mysteriously decide to revamp their roster.

The Bulls already have two power forwards. The Clippers aren’t in the habit of going deep into their pockets for free agents and, if they did, would Grant really be happy playing major minutes in a contaminated atmosphere? And the Magic have to be rejected by Tim Duncan, Hill, Tracy McGrady, Eddie Jones, Tim Thomas and Maurice Taylor before they’d have “interest” in Grant.

“Sure we’d have interest in Brian,” said an Eastern Conference GM, “but not at the kind of money he’s making. Come on, he’s already averaging over $9 million!”

In other words, Grant appears to have taken an absurd gamble. Unless I’ve completely misread the lay of the landscape, there are no hidden treasures or under-the-table deals to slink into the moment he becomes a free agent. In fact, I can’t see him qualifying for the first tier until the first six or eight free agents are signed.

*

LEAVE it to the Clippers to be forced into the superlative fortune of taking Darius Miles. The original idea was to pick the high school version of Scottie Pippen at No. 3 and re-route him to the Magic for Nos. 5 & 10; in addition to Corey Maggette, Derek Strong and the $3 million (the maximum allowed to change hands in a single transaction) Orlando had secured from Maverick owner Easy Mark Cuban for No. 13) to offset the $11.3M, 3-year obligation to Strong.

However, all of that was contingent upon Marcus Fizer and Keyon Dooling being available at Nos. 5 & 10.

The Bulls ravaged that plan to selecting Fizer at No. 4, though they already have a fairly competent macho forward in Elton Brand, co-rookie-of-the-year. Thus the Clips, much to the delight of their four or five fans, were forced to run the keeper play with Miles, and the Magic was compelled to reconstruct the deal using all the remaining enticements, except No. 5 pull Mike Miller.

*

MEANWHILE, Miles told Donald Sterling it has always been his dream to play for coach…

*

LEAVE it to the Nets to take a Kenyon in the first round and a guy from West Africa in the second.

Nice of Phil Jackson to deem the rigors of an Olympic berth too tough for Kobe, but apparently perfectly acceptable for other members of the Sydney Opera House. There’s not a selfish bone in his body, coos Jeannie Buss.

Jackson has undoubtedly endeared himself to USA Basketball the way John Rocker has ingratiated himself to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority…though Rocker has a better chance of being the next Olympic coach.

There is still an outside possibility Kobe will play on the Olympic team. USA Basketball intends to wait another week before turning the spot over to Eddie Jones.

The Heat plan to offer Jones the $2M exception for next season, at which time they figure to have $12M worth of cap room for him the following season and beyond.

Rick Pitino offered three first rounders – two of the Celtics and the Nuggets No. 1 (within the next three years) to the Blazers for Jermaine O’Neal. Of course, Portland would’ve also had to take about $20M in unwanted salaries. How can he justify three No. 1s? “If O’Neal were in this draft he’d be the first pick,” Pitino explained. Well, at least top three.

The Bulls went strong to the draft to snare O’Neal, offering Nos. 7 & 24. Had they been willing to part with No. 4, it would’ve been a deal.

How far have the Bulls fallen? Six rings to six picks.

I was thrilled to see that no referees decision or non-call affected the outcome of any picks.

I can’t wait ’till next year’s draft when teams will be allowed to draft US-based player in both rounds one and two.

As part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, any foreign-born player who doesn’t make the league will be degraded by Rocker and deported by Janet Reno.

Gary Payton is pushing Sonic management to reach out for J.R. Rider.

Old news: Isiah Thomas has to sell the CBA to before being allowed to coach the Pacers. New news: The Clippers have to join the CBA before Sterling is allowed to hire a coach.

Remarked Thomas: “If coaching is half as hard as getting into coaching then I don’t want any part of it.”